Taiga of the Sea
by TwiliteTGRgrl
Summary: While our beloved Mugiwara's are on their own adventures, a new crew begins to emerge, soon to cross paths and forever shape the land and sea! Thus begins the tale of a girl, her nakama, a circus, the slave trade, revenge, and a new life of adventure!


**Taiga of the Sea**

_**Eenee meenee miney mo catch a tiger by its toe if it hollers let it go**_~ You know how that rhyme goes ne? I don't suggest ever approaching a tiger and pulling its tail or its toe. Just doesn't end well ya know?

**Disclaimer:** One Piece is not mine it is Eiichiro Oda's! YEAAHHHH! HARD CORE WOOT WOOT HOO-RAH! (Sad face for meh :C)

**A/N**: This is an OC fic at first but I hope to incorporate the original characters of One Piece later on DON'T WORRY~. This is just the beginning of a side story okay? I already know how lame this sounds so if you don't like made up characters takin' the reins I can't really blame ya but don't bother telling me how lame it is if I ALREADY KNOW IT! AND I'M AFRAID OF PORCUPINES! WHAT! IDK GO EAT SOME FRENCH FRIES! Yeah for experiments!

**Song of the Mo:** Eye of the Tiger by Survivor

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_**Prologue Part One: Bare Your Teeth**_

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Think…think of that memory that forever burns in the back of your mind. You know which one I mean. That one painful moment where your life pivots, the world turns about-face and every beautiful thing in your breadth shatters like a crisp clean glass meeting marble floors. Think of it, even if you don't want to, as those shards spread, gather dust, and draw blood. Think even if you never could anyways, close your eyes and hang your head. Think of it. And burn those images of horror in your retinas. Kid yourself that you were not awake then, that everything was a lie and then fail at doing this feat. Now shove those recollections down your throat. Choke on them, cry if you want to. And hold them close to your heart. They will always be there like a tattoo, like a scar.

And as I've found, the only way to survive with this memory forever locked away behind your eyes…

Is to grin and bear it. Bare those teeth. Have _them_ tremble, quiver, quake like you yourself have felt…or watch them squirm beneath your too-stout heart. You cannot allow those memories to leak out further in your system. You will die that way. I should know I've watched it happen all too many times. This is my cage. I had to escape it.

Who knew that I was soon to be an outlaw to pirate and government and pirate hunter and marine alike? Who knew I, a simple rebellious girl, was to be the next legend of both the land and sea. Who knew I AND my nakama would be the next legend of both the land and sea?

Who knew that my life full of terror, killing, justice, pain, shackles, and torture would blossom into one full of friendship, kindness, happiness, and adventure?

It's dumbfounding…but it doesn't begin well. It never does. My beginning was such a tattoo and scar mentioned before. My past is relentless and painful and scathing in nature. For every kindred spirit or comforting one there is a tenfold of those making their marks as the scum that resides at the bottom of the sea where no sunlight can reach.

I started out here at this level. But that tale is for another day. Today is the day I bare my teeth and bend back the bars that confine me.

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"Merk!" Glancing around the ship for watchful snails, I carefully picked my way to my friends side. He was holding a small whittled cross to his moving lips, eyes closed, grime, sweat and blood coating his bare muscular back. This was not unusual. Patiently, I waited for his murmuring to cease, his eyes to open and- FWACK! "!"

I smacked him upside the head. "You moron!" He winced for just the briefest of moments. In truth he was a strongly built young man, three years my senior, with broad shoulders, an array of muscles and a killer's gaze. "You need to keep a better watch over your brother! Sit on him and pray! Form a death grip on his wrist and pray! He's gonna tattle!"

"Kat!" Another voice joined mine in lecture, as I knew it would. I'm just too calculating that way. Turning around, my long messy bead and feather strewn light brown it was pretty much blonde hair nearly swinging into my eyes, I smirked. He growled, waving his hands fervently. "I'm right here! I'm not going! I changed my mind! I want to be…more courageous okay? I'll go with you guys."

"Duh." Then he too felt the sting of my fist. "NOW KEEP YOUR VOICE DOWN."

"Now." I glanced around again, listening for the familiar footsteps of a few others around the way in this city of crates. Outside this thick hull one could still imagine the sound of taunting wave, the sting of salt in their nostrils. I motioned for the brothers to sit beside me, handing them both a slip of paper. "Take these. They will help you keep track of me. Don't you dare lose them." The footsteps drew closer, but I did not worry about them. "When the others come I want you to tear a tiny piece for them each as well."

Both brothers glanced sheepishly at the other. The eldest scratched his head. "Um…you're not serious are you?"

My blue eye twitched. "Do you think I'm kidding this time? This is for real! We escape tonight! What do you think we have been planning for this entire time? A tea party!" My tone grew livid, the younger brother hid behind his aniki's back before coughing and hiding a canteen of tea he had been drinking. They sweatdropped. "Eh…" That was when the others cautiously arrived and sat crosslegged around me, waiting expectantly for whatever 'crazy idea' I had tonight. But they could sense that today would be different. It was just in the air.

"Are you ready?" They nodded just as the damn filthy pirate who imprisoned us here called down for row call.

Scanning each face of my comrades filled me with pride when I noted that each and every eye of our tiny group gleamed with determination. Whatever fear or doubt I had once felt vanished the moment I saw this. I bared my teeth. Those cursed captors would soon rue the day they captured us, tore us from our happy lives, beat us and tortured our souls to the brink of death. They made the deadly mistake of keeping the devil in us. Of pushing us to where we had to choose between death…or hope. Our hope was now a carnivorous plant bent on clamping its jaws on the prey that thought it was getting the better end of the bargain. Today would be the last day I would wear that fake smile for their amusement. It was time. My cage was rattled, I was backed too far into the corner…as had my friends, and it was time to show some teeth and claws.

"The plan begins…" First I sucked in a deep breath, closed my eyes and I waited for my own signal. "…NOW!"

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**Roller coaster begins to head up the tracks. WOO! Okay so this is gonna be interesting I hope? You will get to meet the characters properly. And hopefully you can see them in an OP kinda way? IDK! Stay tuned for the next part~ LOL this has to be the shortest lil thing I've written? But it was originally a part of a bigger chunk of writing. Which is coming up too in smaller chuncks cus I update huge chapters too much! XD**


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